A door window in a vehicle is typically held by window regulator lifter plate assemblies within the door assembly. In certain types of vehicle, such as convertibles, there can be variation from vehicle to vehicle in the exact position of the roof and accordingly, there is variation in the required position of the top edge of the door window, in order to achieve a seal with the roof. Additionally, in vehicles such as convertibles, the vehicle door is typically frameless, which means that the vehicle door does not possess an upper portion with a guide track for the window. This adds to the problem because without a guide track, there will be some natural variation in the position of the top edge of the door window due simply to manufacturing tolerances in the door assembly and in any other relevant vehicle components.
To accommodate the aforementioned variation, vehicles may be manufactured with window regulator lifter plate assemblies that are adjustable so as to permit the position and orientation of the door window to be adjusted on each individual vehicle by an assembly line worker as necessary to provide the appropriate seal by the top edge of the window and the roof.
Some problems exist with some adjustable window regulator lifter plate assemblies that have been proposed. For example, some proposed window regulator lifter plate assemblies require access for adjustment from their outboard side, which is the side facing the exterior sheet metal of the vehicle door in which they are mounted. As a result, apertures are sometimes provided in the exterior sheet metal of the door to provide access. These apertures must then be covered by some suitable means, such as a polymeric plug, after use, which may detract visually from the appearance of the door, and which imposes an added complexity to the design and assembly of the vehicle.
Some other proposed window regulator lifter plate assemblies require access from the bottom edge of the vehicle door. In addition to necessitating the presence of an aperture to provide suitable access to the assembly, making an adjustment through an aperture on the bottom edge of the vehicle door can be cumbersome,
Some other proposed window regulator lifter plate assemblies require a relatively large clearance in order to travel through their range of adjustability. This can sometimes be difficult to provide in the restrictive space in the interior of a door assembly.